* Sesshin (the Japanese word literally means "to touch the heart-mind") is an opportunity to draw from the tremendous strength of people practicing together, to receive personal guidance in private meetings with the teacher, and to experience the deep stillness that lies within each of us. Daniel Terragno is a native of Chile who resides in the Redwoods of Northern California where he is the founder and spiritual director of Rocks and Clouds Zendo in Sebastopol, a Zen community in the tradition of the Diamond Sangha).

Daniel Terragno, a native of Chile, is a teacher in the koan tradition of the Diamond Sangha, which was founded by Robert Aitken Roshi. Daniel is the dharma heir of John Tarrant Roshi of the Pacific Zen Institute. Daniel started his spiritual practice in 1967 studying the Gurdjieff** Work with W.A. Nyland*** before taking up Zen. Daniel received authorization to teach Zen in 1995, and in 2001 received dharma transmission from Tarrant Roshi.

Daniel also teaches and leads sesshin in Ohio with Yellow Springs Dharma Center and Zen on High in Columbus, Ohio; with Grupo Zen Viento del Sur (Southern Wind) in Argentina, based in Buenos Aires, and also in Santiago, Chile.

G. I. Gurdjieff was born sometime between 1866 and 1877 in Alexandropol, near the Russian-Turkish border. As a young man he trained in Kars as both a priest and a physician and devoted all his energies to searching for fundamental truths: Who am I? What is the purpose of our life? For some twenty years, Gurdjieff traveled in the most remote regions of Central Asia and the Middle East, sometimes gaining entrance to esoteric schools to which few, if any, Westerners had ever been admitted. Afterwards, he set about putting what he had learned into a form that would be understandable and meaningful to the Western World.

Before the First World War, Gurdjieff began to gather pupils in Russia. He continued his work with a small party of followers during the years of the Russian revolution, moving to Essentuki in the Caucasus, and then through Tiflis, Constantinople, Berlin, and London. He finally settled in France and established his Institute for the Harmonious Development of Man at the Château Le Prieuré at Fontainebleau-Avon in October of 1922.

People who met Gurdjieff felt that he was an extraordinary man. He maintained that through the efforts to Work on oneself, a person could develop new faculties which would enable one to know oneself truthfully and to function harmoniously, with fully developed Consciousness, Conscience, and Will.

Gurdjieff died in Paris in 1949. His teachings survive most reliably in the form of his writings (All and Everything: Beelzebub’s Tales to His Grandson, Meetings with Remarkable Men, and Life is Real Only Then, When “I Am”), in his music, in his movements and sacred dances, and in an oral tradition passed down through his older pupils.

Note: Before Gurdjieff’s death, a few of his pupils founded groups with his consent. Since that time, many other groups have been set up using Gurdjieff’s name by people with little or no direct connection to his teachings. Gurdjieff himself, in All and Everything, warned about the distortions that can occur when persons without proper training attempt to convey esoteric knowledge.

Gurdjieff specifically asked Mr. Nyland to help safeguard his teachings and that is why there is a strong emphasis on the integrity of the method of Work in our groups. At the same time, Mr. Nyland encouraged people to read widely and learn about other groups, but always with an understanding that even slight distortions can cause significant problems in the end. Mr. Nyland’s groups are dedicated to maintaining the exactness and genuineness of Gurdjieff’s ideas and we freely offer the way of Work to those who wish to pursue it.

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*** About Willem A. Nyland

Willem A. Nyland was born in Utrecht, Holland. A chemist by profession, he came to the United States and earned his doctorate at Columbia University. In 1924 he and his wife, the artist Ilonka Karasz, heard Mr. Gurdjieff speak during Gurdjieff’s first visit to the United States. After this first encounter, the Nylands began to work closely with Gurdjieff’s representative in America, A. R. Orage. Thereafter, they both remained active in the Gurdjieff teaching and often traveled to France to see Gurdjieff.

Near the end of his life, Mr. Gurdjieff asked Mr. Nyland to start a group in America, for which he would receive special material from Gurdjieff every week. After Gurdjieff died in 1949, Mr. Nyland was one of the founders and trustees of the Gurdjieff Foundation. He remained active in the Foundation until he formed his own independent groups in the early 1960s.

Anyone who has listened to a few of the 2600 recordings of meetings with Mr. Nyland, made between the late 1950s and 1975, cannot help but feel that Mr. Nyland was extraordinarily devoted to the Gurdjieff teaching. His strength lay in his combination of honesty, practicality, and perspective.

Note: Mr. Nyland died in 1975.

Source: www .nyland .org/nyland.shtml

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Disclaimer: I am not associated with any person, group, school, or website mentioned herein. I will not answer questions related to their activities in Chile (or elsewhere) either here on the forum, or by PM.

Muddy RoadTanzan and Ekido were once traveling together down a muddy road. A heavy rain was still falling.Coming around a bend, they met a lovely girl in a silk kimono and sash, unable to cross the intersection."Come on, girl," said Tanzan at once. Lifting her in his arms, he carried her over the mud.Ekido did not speak again until that night when they reached a lodging temple. Then he no longer could restrain himself."We monks don't go near females." He told Tanzan, "especially not young and lovely ones. It is dangerous. Why did you do that?""I left the girl there," said Tanzan. "'Are you still carrying her?"

1. The days of the week, and some other Spanish words, are not translated into English;2. The "{at}" in email addresses must be replaced accordingly;3. When visiting a Zen sitting group for practice -- please arrive 10 to 15 minutes in advance.4. Zen groups come and go, their Zazen Schedule may be subject to change, so phone/email contact is highly recommended before visiting any of them. 5. The info posted here may be not entirely accurate. For more up-to-date information please visit: www .budismo .cl/practica/cdz.html

Though there is a number of active Zen practice centers in Chile (as it was posted above), "the life of the spiritual seeker is often a solitary affair", as it stated on the "TAT Foundation" website (that is a non-profit organization founded by Richard Rose to provide a forum for friendship and the spiritual search).

However, the "Solitary Spiritual Retreat Centers" section of their site, unfortunately, doesn't list Chile in their "guide to hermitages, cabins, and other places for spiritual reflection" { see: tatfoundation .org/retreat_centers.htm }. Speaking of this listing of retreat facilities, it is said that the list "helps you find a place of solitude to spend quiet time in reflection".

Based on experience, while staying in various "tourist cabins" in Chile, it seems that every one out of 4 or 5 such "cabins" are for sale. The idea of converting regular "tourist" cabins to a "Solitary Retreat Cabins", and then marketing it as such, for both domestic and international public, would be something that I think is not entirely idiotic.

Thus, the forum members, or unregistered readers, are very welcome to post their recommendations on locations of tourist cabins for sale (in Chile), that would be suitable for such "conversion", or maybe to share their experiences with a regular "tourist" facilities for the purpose of a "solitary retreat" of a kind.

Quite possibly, that some other readers of the forum would consider the idea of such buying/converting certain tourist centers.

An epiphany (from the ancient Greek ἐπιφάνεια, epiphaneia, "manifestation, striking appearance")...is the sudden realization or comprehension of the (larger) essence or meaning of something. The term is used in either a philosophical or literal sense...To signify that the claimant has found the last piece of the puzzle...And now sees the whole picture...Or has new information or experience, often insignificant by itself, That illuminates a deeper or numinous foundational frame of reference.

Adios... hasta luego!

Things are not what they appear to be: nor are they otherwise. --- Surangama Sutra “If we want everything to stay as it is, everything will have to change." --- Giuseppe Tomasi di Lamedusa

Q. A native of Chile yourself, you travel there and to Argentina each year to provide instruction and lead retreats. Tell us a bit about your sanghas in South America and also a bit about the overall condition of Zen practice in South America as whole. How do you continue giving guidance when physically absent?

A (Daniel Terragno). It happens that right now I am in Santiago, Chile where we start sesshin this evening. Santiago’s group "Zen Montañas y Mar" is younger than the Argentinian group by eight years. The group in Buenos Aires "Zen Viento Del Sur" has been in existence for thirteen years. I travel to The South twice a year for sesshin, talks/conferences, zazenkais, for two months in the southern Summer and one month in the Winter, Two sesshin each trip, one longer and other shorter in each country and in different cities (Santiago and Valdivia in Chile. Buenos Aires and Córdoba in Argentina).

When I am at home in Rocks & Clouds Zendo in Sebastopol, I stay in contact through Skype® and or telephone with the senior students and younger students that wish to continue or establish the relationship of student-teacher throughout the year. These are once a week with a few or twice a month with others..... <snip>Q. It’s funny-for all the interviews done on this website to date, I’ve never actually asked this fundamental question of anyone. What is Zen?

A (Daniel Terragno). I like to say that Zen is the practice of coming home, of waking up, again and again and again to our nature and the nature of the world, not two..... <snip>

January Sesshin at Zendo Tunquen (see above post) will be from Friday 14th 5:30 pm until Monday 17th 9 am. Those who would like to participate should register with Jorge Moya at hokusan.elzendo {at} gmail.com or call mobile 94619224. Web: www .elzendo .cl/portal/

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